Older generations of players rarely played with such risky tactics.

Even the Suns, who are known for their fast-paced offense, rarely make such a hasty shot when they are still a step away from the three-point line.

This kind of shooting... seems to be Wei Guo's patent.

Cassell took a risky shot, but Rivers gave him a trusting look. This wasn't the kind of play Rivers wanted, but if he could make the shot, it would be a good offensive play.

Kassel was also very nervous...

Fortunately, the result did not disappoint him; the basketball swished through the net, and the Celtics took a 2-point lead.

......

Sitting on the sidelines, James said to Joe Johnson, "This league is changing. More and more players will be trying to shoot threes. We need to practice our threes too."

"I'm different from you..."

Joe Johnson laughed and said, "My three-pointers have always been good."

"Keep bragging. Your three-point shooting percentage only looked good during your season with the Suns. Did you even have a three-point percentage over 40% that season?"

James retorted.

Joe Johnson had a season with an exceptionally high three-point shooting percentage, close to 50%... At that time, he was with the Suns, with Nash and Weiguo, and Joe Johnson had many open three-point opportunities, which was the main reason for his shooting percentage being close to 50%. After joining the Hawks, Joe Johnson's three-minute shooting percentage dropped by more than ten points.

certainly...

He's still a tiny bit more accurate than James.

Speaking of three-pointers, it reminds James of another friend who started training with Wei when he was thirteen years old. Wei is one of the most talented three-point shooters James has ever seen... Wei even said that in a few years, this league will belong to James and Curry.

I don't know if it's true or not... but it's really inspiring.

......

The Celtics hit two consecutive three-pointers, and the Lakers finally took it seriously.

The defense forced the perimeter...

Ariza closely guarded Ray Allen, denying him opportunities to receive the ball. The Celtics' three-point shooting gradually lost its accuracy. On the Lakers' side, Paul orchestrated the team's offense, giving the ball more often to Gasol, who would then isolate against PJ Brown. The Lakers regained the lead and gradually widened the gap.

Rivers substituted Powell for House, who had just hit a three-pointer.

As for Pierce and Garnett...

Rivers was also in a dilemma. When these two were on the court, Wei Guo and Kobe would also be on the court, and they would be facing the strongest Lakers team. But when these two were not on the court, the point difference was gradually widening. In short, there was no perfect solution.

The second quarter lasted 4 minutes.

39:36!!

The Celtics are down by 3 points.

Rivers finally couldn't resist and brought Pierce and Garnett back onto the court. This way, all three of the Big Three would be on the court. In addition, Cassell and PJ Brown would also remain on the court. Rondo is still young, and in the Finals, Rivers has more faith in the veterans and will give Cassell more playing time.

For the Lakers, Kobe and Weiguo are also ready to take the court.

The Lakers have a group of bench players, but now that we're in the Finals, Kobe and Weiguo have the stamina to play the whole game without any problem, so there's no need for the bench players to keep performing.

only...

Gentry kept Odom on the court.

Bynum tried to switch onto Ray Allen several times, but the results weren't very good... Odom is fast and covers a wide defensive area, so he's more effective than Bynum at guarding Ray Allen.

......

The game continued, and Pierce drew a foul from Kobe on a one-on-one play.

This was Kobe's second foul...

Pierce made the first free throw, and Kobe strolled back to the frontcourt. Regardless of whether Pierce made the second free throw, the team would come to the Lakers' side, strolling back to the frontcourt in advance, perhaps to launch a fast break.

Pierce took his second free throw, dribbled the basketball twice, and looked intently at the basket.

"bang~~~"

The second free throw was missed.

Garnett and PJ Brown quickly positioned themselves to try and grab the rebound, but someone was faster than them. Wei Guo jumped and caught the basketball in mid-air with one hand. Before he even landed, he flicked the ball behind him.

"Has it been sold off?"

"wrong..."

"The pass was powerful!"

"God..."

"Kobe is waiting in the frontcourt!"

"The basketball was given to Kobe..."

"Dunk!!!"

"Oh my god..."

"This is the most imaginative assist I've ever seen!"

The commentator's excited voice echoed in the arena. Wei Guo, without any leverage, threw the ball forward with one arm and accurately delivered it to Kobe, assisting Kobe to score... This play not only required absolute core strength but also imagination and extremely high passing ability.

No wonder the commentator was so excited...

This assist would rank in the top ten even if it were considered part of Wei Guo's entire career.

In such a serious game, after Kobe completed the dunk, he spread his arms like a glider and pounced towards Wei Guo, leaping into Wei Guo's arms... This assist even impressed Kobe deeply. He definitely couldn't do it. Not to mention whether he could accurately pass the ball to his teammate, but catching the ball in mid-air with one hand and then throwing it back over the court from such a distance, he might not even be able to throw it over there.

41:37!!

The Celtics are down by 4 points.

......

Wei Guo's assist became the turning point of the first half, and the Lakers' momentum was completely unleashed.

The next few minutes...

The Lakers played a fierce defense and their offense was incredibly fluid. By the end of the first half, the Lakers had a 17-point lead.

......

Lakers locker room!

Gentry's mung bean soup had gone cold. He had drunk all kinds of soup before, but since the weather was hot in June, he made some mung bean soup to cool down and relieve the heat. It tasted very good. Kobe joked, "Old Gentry, this mung bean soup is a bit simple tonight... This may be the last time I drink your soup."

A casual remark silenced everyone instantly!

It seems correct...

The next two games will be in Boston. If the Lakers sweep the Celtics, then tonight will be the last time they play in Los Angeles, and naturally the last time they'll get to drink Gentry's soup.

This atmosphere was not conducive to the game, and Gentry certainly wouldn't let the sadness spread. He joked, "It's not like I'm retiring just because Wei is retiring. As long as everyone is willing, I'll continue to coach the Lakers next season and try to lead the team to a three-peat!"

Putting aside how much exaggeration there is in those claims...

The effect was remarkable, instantly dispelling the somber atmosphere. Gentry seized the opportunity to pick up the statistics sheet, "Let me look at the first half data... who made the most mistakes? I'm going to reduce his playing time in the second half."